Kati Peters of Boulder takes advantage of warm weather last November to do some boulder- ing in Eldorado Canyon State Park, assisted by Christian Griffith. All state parks have free admission on Colorado Day, which is Monday.

The Colorado Day tradition of free admission to all 42 state parks continues Monday as Colorado celebrates its anniversary of statehood granted in 1876 by President Ulysses S. Grant. All other fees, including camping and reservations, remain in effect.

With a huge variety of recreational opportunities at the state parks, Colorado Day offers a convenient excuse to get out and explore everything from boating on lakes or rivers to wildlife viewing, horseback riding, camping, fishing, hiking, biking and more.

“Colorado Day is an opportunity for everyone to get outside and experience the diverse natural beauty and recreational activities that all of the 42 state parks have to offer,” said Gary Thorson, assistant director for information and education for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “This day is also the agency’s opportunity to say thank you to all of our residents and visitors who enjoy our state parks for their continued support.”

While nearby Chatfield and Cherry Creek are the most heavily visited state parks, other parks scattered throughout Colorado showcase a variety of landscapes, from the prairies surrounding John Martin Reservoir to the alpine allure of mountainous Sylvan Lake State Park near Eagle and the dramatic rock formations of Roxborough State Park south of Denver.

Monday also offers a great opportunity to take in Colorado’s newest park, Staunton State Park near Pine, which opened in May and has drawn accolades for its varied top- ography, including waterfalls, fishing ponds, soaring granite cliffs and habitat for a rich diversity of plants and wildlife. Heavy weekend traffic to the new park has created backups at the entrance during peak midday hours.

Big game licenses. A final reminder to big game hunters hoping to pick up one of 33,000 leftover elk licenses, 6,800 leftover deer licenses or 3,800 pronghorn licenses that did not sell during the spring draw: Leftover big game hunting licenses go on sale to the public Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Hunters from out of state or unable to get to a license agent can call the license sales number, 800-244-5613, beginning Tuesday at 9 a.m. To maintain fair distribution, Internet sales of leftover licenses won’t begin until 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Youth hunters need to pay attention to which leftover license they purchase if they want to participate in the Youth Late Season Elk Hunts. Visit the Late Youth Hunts Web page ( bit.ly/coloyouthhunts).

Key dates. Other dates sportsmen on both sides of the Divide will want to note: From 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 13, the next Northeast Region Sportsmen’s Caucus will take place at the CPW Hunter Education Building (6060 Broadway) in Denver. Hunters and anglers are invited to present their concerns and discuss wildlife issues facing the region alongside planned discussions on public big game hunting access, recent legislative impacts to sportsmen (habitat stamp, voucher bill, gun legislation) and a presentation on metro-area fishing techniques for walleye, trout and bass by local guide Nathan Zelinsky of Tightline Outdoors. RSVP to Jennifer Churchill at jennifer.churchill@state.co.us or 303-291-7234.

CPW will host an Aug. 14 meeting in Grand Junction to discuss its “Path Forward” initiative, essentially the five-year plan required of the agency since last year’s merger of Colorado State Parks and the Division of Wildlife. The forum is open to informal discussion on the unified agency’s strategies for everything from big game management to trail and park development. The meeting runs from 6-8 p.m. at the CPW Hunter Education Building (711 Independent Ave.) in Grand Junction.

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